Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai
Taking a bullet train (high-speed train) from Beijing to Shanghai is a very convenient and comfortable way to travel for families, solo travelers, and business trips.
With a distance of 1,318 kilometers (819 miles), the average speed during the journey between Beijing and Shanghai is 300 kph.
Each train has a different journey duration even though they run on the same railway. The fastest bullet train takes 4 hours 18 minutes while the slowest one takes 12 hours. We will explain the reason for this in this article.
To help you prepare before you travel to China, please read the following information, which is included in this article:
- High-Speed Train Timetable for Beijing–Shanghai
- Why the Duration Is Different
- Seat Ticket vs Sleeper Ticket
- Transportation and Maps of Beijing South Railway Station / Beijing Railway Station
- Transportation and Maps of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station / Shanghai Railway Station
- How to Book Your Beijing to Shanghai Train Tickets Online
High-Speed Train Timetable for Beijing to Shanghai
More than 40 high-speed trains run to Shanghai from Beijing. From 06:00 to 21:00, you can find at least two trains available each hour.
All of the bullet trains depart from Beijing South (Nan) Railway Station. Most of them arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station while a few arrive at Shanghai Railway Station.
To book your train tickets from Beijing to Shanghai, it’s better to choose the arrival station that is closer to your destination.
| Train No. | Times | Duration | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| G101 | 06:43–12:40 | 5 h 57 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G5 | 06:53–12:48 | 5 h 55 min | Shanghai Railway Station |
| G143 | 07:50–13:12 | 5 h 22 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G1 (fastest) | 09:00–13:28 | 4 h 28 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G7 (fastest) | 10:00–14:28 | 4 h 28 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G123 | 11:05–16:50 | 5 h 45 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G9 | 12:00–16:36 | 4 h 36 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G135 | 13:05–18:59 | 5 h 54 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G3 (fastest) | 14:00–18:28 | 4 h 28 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G11 (fastest) | 15:00–19:28 | 4 h 28 min | Shanghai Hongqioa Railway Station |
| G13 | 17:00–21:36 | 4 h 36 min | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station |
| G15 | 18:00–22:43 | 4 h 43 min | Shanghai Railway Station |
| G21 (fastest) | 19:08–23:36 | 4 h 28 min | Shanghai Railway Station |
Why the Duration Is Different
Not every train is able to arrive in Shanghai within 4½ hours of leaving Beijing.
The G trains take about 4½ to 6 hours to complete the journey while the D trains take 12 hours. Why?
The Different Speeds of the Two Train Series
There are two high-speed train series operating on the Beijing to Shanghai route. One is Fuxing Hao and the other is Hexie Hao.
* The two train series are not classified by the letters “G” and “D”.
Two Series of China Trains
Trains belonging to the Fuxing Hao series are the fastest ones in the world. The journey only takes about 4½ hours with a top speed of 390 kph.
The Fuxing Hao trains are G1, G3, G5, G7, G9, G11, G13, G15, and G17. Their tickets are in great demand and can be sold out in a few minutes. We suggest you book your seats as soon as the tickets are released.
Trains belonging to the Hexie Hao series usually operate at a speed of 300 kph. For the overnight trains, their speed will slow down to 200 kph.
Fewer Stops and an Earlier Arrival
The fastest bullet train is G17, which departs from Beijing at 19:00 and arrives in Shanghai at 23:18. This train only stops at Nanjing South Railway Station for 2 minutes in the middle of the journey.
Most of the other trains have more than two stops (11 is the highest amount) along the route from Beijing to Shanghai. In total, there are 24 stops along the railway.
Seat Ticket vs Sleeper Ticket
Among the 40 bullet trains running from Beijing to Shanghai, only three trains offer sleeper tickets at night.
The three sleeper trains belong to the D series: D701, D705, and D709. The journey duration is 12 hours from the nighttime to the morning. Passengers can have a good rest on the train and save a night’s hotel bill.
The other G trains are available in the day and are equipped with business-class seats, first-class seats, and second-class seats.
Here are the main differences between a sleeper ticket and a seat ticket for the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed trains.
| G-train (Seat Ticket) | D-train (Sleeper Ticket) | |
|---|---|---|
| Depart from | Beijing South Railway Station | Beijing Railway Station / |
| Arrive at | Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station / Shanghai Railway Station | Shanghai Railway Station |
| Duration | 4½–6 hours | 12 hours |
| Speed | 350 kph | 200 kph |
| Second-class seat | 553 CNY | 292 CNY |
| First-class seat | 933 CNY | - |
| Business-class seat | 1,748 CNY | - |
| Hard sleeper | - | 437 CNY |
| Soft sleeper | - | 554 CNY |
Transportation and Maps of Beijing South Railway Station / Beijing Railway Station
Beijing South Railway Station and Beijing Railway Station are not far from each other. Beijing South Railway Station is closer to the Temple of Heaven while Beijing Railway Station is near to Tian’anmen Square.
Depart from Beijing South Railway Station
- Location: 12 Yongwai Avenue, Fengtai District
- Subway: Metro Line 4 and Metro Line 14
- Bus: 17, 20, 102, 106, 133, 343, 458, 485, 529, 652, 655; at night — 15, 17, and 27
Beijing South Railway Station map >>>
Depart from Beijing Railway Station
- Location: 13 Hutongjia, Maojiawan, Dongcheng District
- Subway: Metro Line 2
- Bus: more than 40 buses to the station
Beijing Railway Station map >>>
Transportation and Maps of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and Shanghai Railway Station
* Learn detailed transportation information about each station by clicking into the specific pages.
Arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station
- Location: 1500 Shengui Road, Minhang District
- Subway: Metro Lines 2, 10, and 17
- Bus: Hongqiao Hub 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; bus 189, 316, and 914
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station map >>>
Arrive at Shanghai Railway Station
- Location: 100 Moling Road, Jing’an District
- Subway: Metro Lines 1, 3, and 4
- Bus: 106 (to Shanghai West Railway Station), 115, 117, 305, 306, 310, 817, 823, 912, 929, 942, 962, Xinchuan Special Line (新川专线), 95, 104, 109, 927, 930, Airport Line 5, Shenchuan Special Line (申川专线), and Tunnel Line 3
Shanghai Railway Station map >>>
What to Eat on The Train?
Beijing Nan– Shanghai 12:10-18:07 (G129)
Food delivery service station： Jinan Xi Railway Station, Nanjing Nan Railway Station
Available food:
Jinan Xi Railway Station: KFC , Burger King, Mr Li Restaurant（Beef noodles, Rice with Curry Beef,） Idami Restaurant（Rice with Stewed Pork Taiwan Style, Pork with Salted Vegetable）, Ruyi Restaurant（Shrimp wonton )
Nanjing Nan Railway Station: KFC ，zhen kungfu Restaurant （Pork with Salted Vegetable，Twice-cooked pork slices，Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs）， Duck blood soup with vermicelli Restaurant（Duck blood and bean-starchy vermicelli soup， steamed bun with pork stuffing& Spring roll）
Book Your Beijing to Shanghai Train Tickets Online
You are recommended to use our China Train Booking app to book your tickets and track your bookings anytime and anywhere. Get your free trial now:
Other ways to book your China train ticket: How to Buy a China Train Ticket.
Further reading:
